A Cautionary Tale

The great thing about being a college counselor is that there is always a new problem to solve, college to learn about, and question that has never come up before. When I came to Visi nine years ago, the technology wasn't quite as advanced as it is now (I get my voicemail on my email!) and students never brought their laptops to meetings with me. These days, it's pretty normal for a student bring her laptop to a meeting and log into a college application so that we can troubleshoot submission quirks, edit an essay on the spot, or just look things over.

For the first time I can recall, not one but two seniors missed November 1 Early Action deadlines because they did not actually submit their applications. In both cases, the students thought they had submitted them correctly - and in one, case the student had submitted the application supplements, but not the actual app. They only found out because they happened to be on their Common Application account doing something else and noticed that their applications were not submitted. YIKES!!! Since this had never happened to my students before, I chalked it up to a technical glitch with their computers or with the Common App website. And then I happened upon this news bulletin on the Stanford admissions site:

Last year, nearly 1,000 would-be applicants to Stanford mistakenly believed they successfully submitted their applications via the Common Application Web site when, in fact, they did not. These students completed their applications online and paid their application fees but failed to actually "submit" their applications online by the deadline. As a result, we were unable to consider their applications for admission.

Applicants who have successfully submitted their applications can check whether or not their applications were submitted and downloaded by Stanford by checking the Common Application Web site (under MY COLLEGES). An email receipt from the Common Application for your application fee does not mean that your Common Application was successfully submitted to Stanford. Be sure to check the Common Application Web site to verify your submission.

As we did last year, we will not consider any applications submitted after the deadline (even for students who experience technical difficulties with the Common Application Web site) and applicants should be aware that our offices will be closed beginning December 18 for the winter holidays. While we will be open to receive mail and to process materials, we will not be open to assist candidates with technical difficulties associated with the Common Application Web site. As a result, it is important that applicants not wait until the deadline to submit their applications successfully. While there is no rush in getting your teachers and counselor to submit their materials to us before January 1, you should make an effort to finish your Common Application and Stanford Supplement well in advance of the deadline.

Ouch!!!! Don't let this be you. Make sure you are diligent in confirming that your application was submitted properly!

Published by TSM